Harve

A boy's name of Celtic origin with 554 recorded U.S. births.

Boy's nameRare nameNot ranked recently

Meaning & Origin

a harrow

Harve is a boy's baby name of Celtic origin, a short form of Harvey, from the Breton name Haerviu meaning 'battle-worthy' or composed of haer (battle) and vy (worthy). Saint Harvey was a sixth-century Breton monk, giving the name its Celtic Christian foundation.

Harve has the unpretentious, handshake-firm quality of mid-century American nickname names — a single syllable that feels solid and dependable, stripped of pretension, the kind of name that belongs to someone who fixes things and keeps his word.

EtymologyShow more

The ending of a name often carries more etymological information than the beginning. Harve's final sounds are open, approachable — ending on a vowel softens the overall impression. In English-language naming, masculine names frequently end on harder consonants or closed syllables, creating a sense of decisiveness and strength. Harve softens that pattern, giving it a more versatile feel.

Explore the ending-based name pages on this site to find names that share Harve's suffix pattern — names with similar endings often share a style and era, even when they come from different linguistic backgrounds.

At a Glance

554

Total births

Since 1880

1882

Peak

22 births

1880

First recorded

89 years of data

Compare Harve with another name

Popularity Over Time

Harve has 58+ years of history in the U.S., first appearing in 1880.

First appeared: 1880Peak: 1882 (22 births)

Popularity by Decade

Decade-by-decade popularity data for Harve
Decade	Births	Avg Rank	Trend
1960s	27	#4091	▲
1950s	20	#3455	▼
1940s	70	#2951	▲
1930s	52	#2770	▼
1920s	98	#2767	▲
1910s	68	#2532	▲
1900s	13	#1092	▼
1890s	65	#775	▼
1880s	141	#547	—

The Story of Harve

A Greatest Generation name

Peaking in 1882, Harve is a name steeped in history. Boys named Harve are most likely born between 1880 and 1892.

How rare is Harve?

With 554 total births on record, Harve remains a rare and distinctive pick.

The journey through the decades

First appeared in the records in 1880, peaked in the 1880s with 141 births that decade, and has since become a rare, vintage choice.

Harve by the numbers

Would fill 12 school buses
Meeting one Harve per day would take 1.5 years

Year-by-Year Data

View complete yearly data(58 years, 1880–1968)

Year-by-year popularity data for the name Harve
Year	Births	Rank	Change
1968	5	#4367	0
1967	5	#4211	-1 (-16.7%)
1963	6	#3798	0
1961	6	#3801	+1 (20.0%)
1960	5	#4278	-2 (-28.6%)
1957	7	#3372	-1 (-12.5%)
1955	8	#3067	+3 (60.0%)
1951	5	#3926	-1 (-16.7%)
1949	6	#3483	-2 (-25.0%)
1947	8	#2972	+3 (60.0%)
1946	5	#3729	-3 (-37.5%)
1945	8	#2650	-3 (-27.3%)
1944	11	#2247	+1 (10.0%)
1943	10	#2470	+1 (11.1%)
1942	9	#2597	+1 (12.5%)
1941	8	#2745	+3 (60.0%)
1940	5	#3664	-2 (-28.6%)
1939	7	#2957	-1 (-12.5%)
1938	8	#2743	-2 (-20.0%)
1937	10	#2387	-1 (-9.1%)

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration. Showing years with 5+ recorded births.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Harve a boy's or girl's name?

Harve is primarily a boy's name.

When was Harve most popular?

Harve reached its peak popularity in 1882 with 22 births that year. It is not currently in the top rankings.

How popular is the name Harve?

Harve is not currently in the top rankings but has been given to 554 babies in the U.S. since 1880. Its peak was in 1882.

Explore More

By Length5-letter names By OriginCeltic names By EndingNames in -e TrendingRising names RankingsFull rankings

Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration, 1880–1968